Tee Kim Leng & 6 Ors v Hong Kah Ing

[2024] SGHC 321 High Court (General Division) 13 December 2024 HC/S 947/2021 ( HC/RA 189/2024,HC/RA 188/2024 ) 7 min read

3 cases cited

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	13 December 2024
Judge	Choo Han Teck
Charges / claim	Civil Procedure
Counsel	David Lim & Partners LLP, WongPartnership LLP, Felicia Soong Wanyi, G Kiran, Joanna Qiu Ziyun, Joel Chng Zi Zhao, Joshua Ang Zhao Neng, Koong Len Sheng, Rachel Chan Wai Yee

Source: [2024] SGHC 321, High Court (General Division), decided 13 December 2024 — eLitigation. Updated 3 July 2026.

Catchwords

Civil Procedure — Costs — Security Civil Procedure — Pleadings — Striking out

Practice Areas

Civil Procedure

Judges (1)

Choo Han Teck Delivered

Counsel (9)

David Lim & Partners LLP Firm WongPartnership LLP Firm Felicia Soong Wanyi Counsel Appellant G Kiran Counsel Appellant Joanna Qiu Ziyun Counsel Appellant Joel Chng Zi Zhao Counsel Appellant Joshua Ang Zhao Neng Counsel Respondent Koong Len Sheng Counsel Respondent Rachel Chan Wai Yee Counsel Respondent

Parties (8)

Alvin Lee Sze Chang Respondent Hong Kah Ing Appellant Lee Kien Han Respondent Phang Soon Mun Respondent Tee Chor Leong Respondent Tee Kim Leng Respondent Tee Yee Koon Respondent Toh Yew Keat Respondent

Case Significance

Hong Kah Ing v Tee Kim Leng and others [2024] SGHC 321 is a judgment of the General Division of the High Court delivered by Choo Han Teck J on 13 December 2024, in Suit No 947 of 2021 (Registrar's Appeals Nos 188 and 189 of 2024). The appellant was the defendant and the respondents were the plaintiffs in Suit 947. The defendant had applied for the plaintiffs' statement of claim to be struck out and for an order that the plaintiffs provide security for costs; both applications were dismissed by the assistant registrar, and the defendant appealed seeking the same orders. The catchwords address civil procedure issues of striking out pleadings and security for costs. The judgment records that the plaintiffs pleaded the defendant was in breach of contract, with the 4th to 7th plaintiffs said to be partners in a Malaysian law practice, Han & Partners, and the defendant a majority shareholder in a Singaporean company, Far East Mining Pt Ltd, in connection with a 2016 agreement to broker the acquisition of shares in an Indonesian subsidiary. The appellant was represented by WongPartnership LLP and the respondents by David Lim & Partners LLP. The decision cites 3 Singapore authorities.

[2024] SGHC 321 explained

Tee Kim Leng & 6 Ors v Hong Kah Ing ([2024] SGHC 321) is a Singapore judgment decided by the High Court (General Division) on 13 December 2024. It is categorised under Civil Procedure. It is a recent decision; within this corpus no later judgment has cited it yet. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.

What is [2024] SGHC 321 about?

Tee Kim Leng & 6 Ors v Hong Kah Ing ([2024] SGHC 321) is a High Court (General Division) decision from 2024. Its published catchwords are “Civil Procedure — Costs — Security” and “Civil Procedure — Pleadings — Striking out”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.

Summary

In this matter the defendant in a High Court suit, who was the appellant, appealed against an assistant registrar's dismissal of his applications to strike out the plaintiffs' statement of claim and to require the plaintiffs to provide security for costs, the underlying suit concerning an alleged breach of contract arising from an oral settlement agreement over the transfer of shares said to be due to a Malaysian law practice. The appeal raised issues of striking out of pleadings and security for costs, including the relevance of the plaintiffs being based in Malaysia. The court awarded the costs of the appeal to the plaintiffs, with costs to be assessed if not agreed.

What did the court decide in Hong Kah Ing v Tee Kim Leng [2024] SGHC 321?

In [2024] SGHC 321, decided on 13 December 2024, Choo Han Teck J heard the defendant's appeals (Registrar's Appeals Nos 188 and 189 of 2024) against the assistant registrar's dismissal of applications to strike out the plaintiffs' statement of claim and to order security for costs in Suit 947 of 2021.

What was the underlying dispute in Hong Kah Ing v Tee Kim Leng [2024] SGHC 321?

Per [2024] SGHC 321, the plaintiffs pleaded breach of contract, alleging the 4th to 7th plaintiffs were partners in Malaysian law practice Han & Partners and the defendant a majority shareholder in Far East Mining Pt Ltd, over a 2016 agreement to broker the acquisition of an Indonesian subsidiary's shares.